EVERGREEN — At least three teenagers, including the suspected shooter, remained in critical condition Wednesday afternoon at a Denver-area hospital following a shooting at Evergreen High School in the Jefferson County foothills, officials said.

According to Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley, hundreds of law enforcement officers rushed to the scene on Buffalo Park Road after a 911 call reported an active shooter at 12:24 p.m.

It remains unclear whether the suspect was shot by police or injured by their own gunfire. The juvenile, believed to be a student at the school, has not been publicly identified. Kelley emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the community.

“This is the scariest thing that could ever happen. Parents were terrified, and so were the kids. We always say ‘never again,’ and here we are,” Kelley said.

Investigators have not yet determined whether the shooting began inside or outside the building, but at least one outdoor location with evidence of gunfire has been identified.

Kevin Cullinan, president of CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, confirmed that three teens were transported from Evergreen High and that no additional victims had been reported. At least two of those injured were confirmed students, and the third was likely a student as well, Kelley said.

Parents and guardians were asked not to go to the high school due to the heavy police presence. A reunification site was set up at Bergen Meadow Elementary on Hiwan Drive.

Families described harrowing moments: Wendy Nueman, whose 15-year-old daughter at first did not answer her phone, said she finally heard from her using a borrowed device. “She just said she was okay, but she could barely talk. She had run from the school. It was terrifying,” Nueman said.

Deborah Weingarten, mother of three students, sped from her job in Denver, cutting a 50-minute drive down to 20 minutes. One of her sons heard gunshots and fled, while another was stuck inside during the lockdown. “We’ve been dying inside just waiting,” she said.

Tasha Williams, mother of a freshman, said her daughter frantically called about the shooter while searching for her friend. Williams urged her to stay calm and stay put. “I always told them, if you hear something, get down and pretend you’re dead. I shouldn’t have to do that. But that’s the world we live in,” she said.

Outside the reunification site, parents lined the sidewalks, exchanging hugs as buses slowly delivered students. Emergency alert calls from the district rang simultaneously up and down the line.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the Denver FBI field office, joined the response. In a statement, Gov. Jared Polis said he was monitoring the situation closely, with Colorado State Patrol assisting local authorities.

“Students should be able to attend school safely and without fear across our state and nation. We are all praying for the victims and the entire community,” Polis said.

In an email to families at 1:45 p.m., Jeffco Public Schools clarified that the shooting took place outside the building, which remained on lockdown. Officials said clearing the school would take another hour.

The Evergreen shooting marks the fifth school shooting in Colorado since the Columbine massacre in 1999, when 12 students and one teacher were killed. The last incident occurred in 2019 at STEM School Highlands Ranch, where two students opened fire in a classroom, killing 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo and wounding eight others.